Taking Care of a Child with ADHD is Exhausting!

So you think you are exhausted because you had a hard day at the office or on the job and you look forward to going home to get some rest, maybe have a nice dinner, or drink a glass of wine. Wellllll… try being a parent of an ADHD child! These people are truly EXHAUSTED.

Scenario: No sleep at night because your child is up most of the night either crying or roaming or bouncing. Then the alarm clock goes off and the child (and probably you) just went to sleep about 30 minutes before you were scheduled to get up. You have to somehow rally and not only get yourself up and going, but you have to get the child who was up all night up and going. Then there is breakfast and getting your child dressed. All this usually involves screams or bouts of yelling, dragging of feet or taking forever. Getting the child to school or to daycare often seems impossible. You may finally get to work, but you are exhausted, upset, frustrated, and aware that work will be the restful part of the day. Picking up the child and beginning the mad race of child control begins again. The child is moving, jumping, swinging, crying, non-stop talking and destroying from the moment you get home. How is one going to cook dinner, clean the house, or prepare for bedtime? A nice dinner and a glass of wine? Not in this scenario! The process goes on and on and on. You often can’t get anyone to help you because no one has the energy to take on the daunting task of keeping up with your child.

So what is a person to do? Sometimes there may be a spouse that tag teams this effort. Or you may be on your own. My main suggestion (after perhaps seeking professional help for the situation) is to keep your sense of humor. Stay focused on the fact that raising this child may be the most important thing you can do. It may be over sooner than you think because children grow up so fast. In the meantime, blog about it, write about it or join a support group, these things may help. Everyday Health also has some good tips for parents of kids with ADD/ADHD that you can try.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donna Krutka, MD

Dr. Krutka is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her practice includes all ages of patients from newborns to young adults. Her areas of interest include attention...read more